This week’s Board of Supervisors meeting featured some compelling political theater around housing policy, as it failed to override Mayor London Breed’s veto of a “fourplex” bill and submitted only one of two controversial ballot measures.
Plus, a new department dedicated to early childhood care and education was approved, and an extension for car-free weekends on the Great Highway is in the works.
Fourplex One Falls and Rent Control Reincarnates
A move to override the veto of District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman’s “fourplex” bill failed by one vote.
It marked the end of a legislative saga in which the bill endured almost a year of development hell in committee and the addition of consensus-breaking amendments before passing in June with a 6-4 vote on first reading.
The bill got an additional vote at a July second reading, but eight votes were required to override Breed’s veto. In the end, the vote to override only got seven.
Meanwhile, only one of two controversial charter amendments on housing was approved for the November ballot, as Peskin moved to withdraw his measure to expand rent control to new projects built under density bonus or other upzoning incentives. That said, supervisors made a very vocal commitment to expand rent control wherever they could.
Help for Kids
Also submitted for the ballot was a measure to create a special fund to help out schools, as well as legislation to create a new department devoted to early childcare.
New Business: Laguna Honda, Great Highway, harsher permit penalties … and Shrooms
New legislation included a last-minute resolution urging state and federal agencies to intervene in the ongoing crisis at Laguna Honda Hospital, as well as setting the term for the Great Highway Pilot Project, increasing penalties for unpermitted construction, and decriminalizing psychedelics.